Words of Worship: Cross

cross (noun) - a structure consisting of an upright with a transverse beam used especially by the ancient Romans for execution; (often capitalized) the cross on which Jesus was crucified; an affliction that tries one's virtue, steadfastness, or patience

Many followers of Christ are familiar with the statement "Take up your cross," but how many people actually understand what that truly means? Reading that third definition on my dictionary app, "an affliction that tries one's virtue, steadfastness, or patience," really made me think about "my cross" from a different angle this week. Facing my struggles and insecurities on a daily basis with Jesus by my side is completely different than trying to shoulder them alone, which is something that I did for far too long while making myself far too miserable. Because Jesus chose to take up His cross on our behalf, we are freed from all of our sins when we accept His salvation. All of those thoughts went in to the preparation for this week's blog, and the songs that I chose for this week I think do a good job of encompassing several different layers of the cross.

All Scripture passages are taken from the New Living Translation of the Holy Bible.

The Center of It All by Austin Stone Worship (written by Austin Stone Worship)

I just found out that Chris Tomlin helped found Austin Stone Worship, so there's my fun trivia fact for the week. Featured on their 2017 album EVERFLOW, which was heavily influenced by the book of I Peter, The Center of it All reminds us that God is the very center of the universe. He is in control of every situation throughout history, from the creation of the world to Jesus's death and resurrection to the things we deal with every day in this current time.

I call to You in need of awakening/Come breathe new life into my soul/You speak like fire, Your word is reviving me/Come breathe new life into my soul/So I will stand, I will sing, I will tell of Your perfect love for me/I will rise and lift high the name of Jesus/There’s no greater name I know, there’s no stronger love to hold/And I know You are the center of it all/You’re my light and You’re my truth, heaven and earth bend to You/And I know You are the center of it all/You’re the center of it all

John 3:16 For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Lead Me to the Cross by Hillsong UNITED (written by B. Fraser)

Featured on UNITED's 2007 album All of the Above (one of their best albums IMHO), this song is a classic in worship leader Brooke Fraser Ligertwood's repertoire. I love that this song is a prayer to Jesus to help us lay down our old lives so that we can live for Him. It's a beautiful reminder of how much Jesus loved us by coming down to Earth in a human body and willingly going up on that cross to die so that we could be saved.

Savior I come, quiet my soul, remember/Redemption’s hill where Your blood was spilled for my ransom/Everything I once held dear, I count it all as loss/Lead me to the cross where Your love poured out/Bring me to my knees, Lord I lay me down/Rid me of myself, I belong to You/Oh, lead me, lead me to the cross

John 1:14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son.

Scandal of Grace by Hillsong UNITED (written by J. Houston, M. Crocker)

Featured on UNITED's 2013 album Zion with vocals by worship leader Matt Crocker, this is another really beautiful song with a beautiful reminder of Jesus's sacrifice. He became the ultimate sacrifice for humanity's sin, and His grace and mercy washed away our transgressions when we invited Him to live within our hearts. We are called to live and love as Jesus did, and while those levels of mercy and grace are impossible for humans to attain, He is always there to help us when we ask. We were never meant to take the things of this world on alone.

Grace, what have you done, murdered for me on that cross/Accused in absence of wrong, my sin washed away in Your blood/Too much to make sense of it all, I know that Your love breaks my fall/The scandal of grace, You died in my place so my soul will live/Oh, to be like You/Give all I have just to know You/Jesus, there’s no one besides You/Forever the hope in my heart

John 8:28 So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I Am he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me."

Flawless by MercyMe (written by B. Graul, B. Millard, B. Glover, D. Garcia, M. Scheuchzer, N. Cochran, R. Shaffer, S. Olds)

Featured on MercyMe's 2014 album Welcome to the New, this is such a fun, energetic song with just as great and positive a message as the other songs on this list. As humans, it's impossible to understand the level of love God feels for us because it's literally perfect - something humans can never be. Thankfully, we aren't required to fully understand the depths of that love to accept it and live in it - the blood of Jesus left us white as snow.

Could it possibly be that we simply can’t believe/That this unconditional kind of love would be enough to/Take a filthy wretch like this and wrap him up in righteousness/But that’s exactly what He did/No matter the bumps, no matter the bruises/No matter the scars, still the truth is/The cross has made, the cross has made you flawless/No matter the hurt or how deep the wound is/No matter the pain, still the truth is/The cross has made, the cross has made you flawless

Acts 4:33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's great blessing was upon them all.

Death Was Arrested by North Point InsideOut ft. Seth Condrey (written by A. Kersh, B. Coker, H. Balltzglier, P. Smith)

Featured on North Point InsideOut's (now known as North Point Worship) 2017 album Nothing Ordinary and featuring vocals by worship leader Seth Condrey, I firmly believe this may be one of the best worship songs ever written. Intertwining the human journey of salvation with the story of Jesus's death and resurrection, it's hard to not feel emotional when listening to this song because it can feel incredibly personal to so many. Because of His sacrifice, we are free of eternal death and separation from Him and are welcomed into eternal life with Him.

Alone in my sorrow and dead in my sin/Lost without hope with no place to begin/Your love made a way to let mercy come in/When death was arrested and my life began/Ash was redeemed, only beauty remains/And my orphan heart was given a name/My mourning grew quiet, my feet rose to dance/When death was arrested and my life began/Oh, Your grace so free washes over me/You have made me new, now life begins with You

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

This Is Amazing Grace by Phil Wickham (written by J. Riddle, J. Farro, P. Wickham)

Featured on Wickham's 2013 album The Ascension, I love getting hyped up to this song. If you haven't heard the song before, this is not a reimagining or a restyling of the timeless hymn Amazing Grace but rather an exploration into how amazing God's grace really is. We praise God for all He has done for us. We should remember that in addition to helping us when we're struggling, that also means Him bearing the cross in our place.

Who breaks the power of sin and darkness, whose love is mighty and so much stronger/The King of glory, the King above all kings/Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder and leaves us breathless in awe and wonder/The King of glory, the King above all kings/This is amazing grace, this is unfailing love/That You would take my place, that You would bear my cross/You laid down Your life that I would be set free/Oh, Jesus I sing for all that You’ve done for me

Revelation 5:12 And they sang in a mighty chorus: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered - to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing."

Psalm 23 (Surely Goodness, Surely Mercy) (Live) by Shane & Shane (composer unknown)

Featured on Shane & Shane's 2016 live album Psalms Live, this is one of my favorite musical interpretations of the 23rd Psalm. While King David wrote this psalm long before Jesus was even born, it is still a beautiful example of the depths of God's love for us. As believers, our end goal is eternal life with God in Heaven, which is what David longs for as well during this psalm.

You prepare a table right before me/In the presence of my enemies/Though the arrow flies and the terror of night is at my door/I’ll trust You, Lord/Surely goodness, surely mercy/Right beside me all my days/And I will dwell in Your house forever/And bless Your holy name

Psalm 23:6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

As always, I hope you found some good music to listen to this week and that these selections bless you as you go forward. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!